Teatime Tales: Stories from the Mansion
by ImpracticalDemon
Summary: A collection of stories about the characters found in the otome visual novel / game Ikemen Vampire. Some may end up having sequels, you never know!
1. Light and Shadow

**Author's Note: **My first attempt at a story for Ikemen Vampire, written for the delightful hvdra00 of tumblr, drawer of fine chibis. This is a slice of life story, since I'm just getting to know these characters. That said, there is a hint of romance, and perhaps a shadow of conflict to come. Or not. Please let me know what you think, and what kinds of stories you'd enjoy in the future!

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**Light and Shadow**

"I think it's because she's so bright—"

Vincent's soft voice was cut off by a sound midway between a snort and a snicker. A snork? Yeah… and the word was a perfect fit for the person who snorked, that is, Theodorus "Sarcasm" Van Gogh. I glared at him from the open doorway, certain he'd been aware of my presence from the moment I'd arrived.

Theo followed up his snork with a pithy, "_Nee_." His red-blond eyebrows quirked maliciously. "Just as well—not much point to being an intelligent snack."

"I guess this extra syrup is going straight back to the kitchen," I announced. Theo needed to learn that insulting the help was a bad strategy. "Can't remember why I brought it in the first place." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vincent look up from his plate, clearly startled and confused. Argh. Vincent was a sweetheart; he didn't deserve to be punished for his brother's failings.

"Mai—"**[1]**

"Don't be a pain, _knabbele_."

"You need to be nicer, Theo!" Vincent smiled at me, his sky blue eyes and golden hair exactly the colours of a summer day. "You know how he is, Mai. He wouldn't tease you if he didn't like you."

"Mm-hm." I set the syrup down beside Vincent, as far from Theo as possible given that the two were seated side-by-side as usual.

"Besides…" Vincent reached out and put a gentle hand on my arm, ignoring the syrup. "I didn't mean _bright_ in that sense; I just didn't get to finish."

"That's a relief. Thought you'd lost your own God-given intelligence, to be saying something like that." Theo reached across Vincent's plate with a half-hearted apology, and snagged the syrup. He shot me a look of triumph as he turned his plate of pancakes into a sticky re-enactment of the Great Flood.

"Your pancakes need life-preservers," I commented snarkily.

Theo grinned, eyes gleaming. "Figures you'd think that way—feeling sorry for the food and all." His eyes were the exact same colour as his brother's, but not remotely as sunny. More like crisp autumn than soft summer.

"Theo, honestly—Mai, I have a question for you."

"Sure, Vincent, what is it?" Actually, I'd been hoping he'd finish explaining what he meant by "bright", if he didn't mean smart—and did that mean he thought I was dumb? No, that was overthinking things. Vincent was unfailingly kind and cheerful. I had the impression he tended to think the best of people even inside his own head.

"Would you like to join me on a picnic later this afternoon? There's this place—Napoleon showed it to me—a field of flowers that I think you'd like. I was thinking of checking out the area around it, too, for inspiration."

I automatically waited for somebody to mention sunflowers, then realized that neither Arthur nor Dazai were present. Not that Vincent ever took it badly, of course, but Theo sometimes got cross about everyone "fixating" on "just _one_ of Vincent's hundreds of amazing paintings."

"You're going on a picnic, Vincent?" Theo was frowning. "It's pretty hot out there today, and you tend to forget the time—and little things like sunburn and heat-stroke—when you start looking all over nature for inspiration." Theo adored Vincent, and Vincent's art—clearly in that order, to be fair—but he seemed to be a city boy at heart. I had the impression he'd prefer Vincent not to ramble as much as he did.

Vincent laughed, and his eyes reflected only affection for his brother, but his hand remained lightly on my forearm, as if to tell me that he was sincere in wanting my company. He had long, thin fingers, and I could see faint traces of colour on his pale skin. I wondered if the paint residue had accumulated just since his arrival in nineteenth century Paris, given that most of the inhabitants of the mansion appeared to have been rejuvenated upon their "change". It was odd to remember that he was a vampire—his touch was pleasantly warm, for one thing…

"I'd be happy to go with you, Vincent," I assured him. "Just set a time, and let me check in with Sebastian."

"Thank you! Could you let me know once you're sure it's okay? I don't want to interfere with your work, but—"

"Sebas used to look after things on his own, remember? I'm sure he can spare the newbie for a couple of hours." Theo still didn't look entirely pleased, for some reason, but at least he was tacitly approving my proposed participation in the outing. "You better look after him, okay?" His sharp blue eyes bored into me, demanding an answer.

I forced myself to shrug lightly and look away, though it wasn't easy. "Of course, Theo. And I'm sure _he_'ll look after _me_—right, Vincent?"

"Yes, of course! Not that there will be much need for it." Vincent sounded almost disappointed, but his soft smile wasn't dimmed for long. "It's not as if we're going very far, and besides, the city is much more dangerous than the countryside, no matter what Theo and Arthur think." I had to agree with that assessment, based on all the warnings about nineteenth century Paris I'd been given since my arrival.

"Yeah, yeah." Theo remained patently unconvinced, but he'd gone back to eating his breakfast instead of trying to skewer me with his gaze. "How did you come up with this whole picnic thing, anyway?"

"Oh—Mai mentioned the idea not too long after she arrived. I've been wanting to try it out ever since." It had only been few days ago, but he made it sound longer. "It's a perfect day for it today, too."

"Too warm."

"Not at all—that's just how it seems when you're surrounded by buildings and people. Right, Mai?" He looked up at me, and I thought I saw a twinkle in his usually guileless baby blues. Was he actually encouraging me to join him in teasing Theo? I decided he was.

"Vincent's right, Theo. Everyone knows that the best way to beat the heat is to get out of the city."

Actually, that was pretty accurate, especially if you lived in twenty-first century Tokyo, like I did. There was nothing quite like August in Tokyo to make you realize just how crowded our trains and streets had become, and just how hot and uncomfortable it was to be so close to so many people. And Tokyo stretched a long way in every direction, too. Suddenly, the prospect of an outing with Vincent in the semi-tamed wilderness surrounding the mansion sounded even better. He was bound to be pleasant company, too, and this would be a great chance to find out more about him. Vincent among wildflowers—

"What are you smirking about?"

"You look so happy!"

I blinked, and realized that I'd spaced out. I was once again the focus of both pairs of similar-dissimilar light blue eyes.

"I'm not smirking—"

"Sure."

"I don't think she is, Theo—"

"—And I was just looking forward to going out with you, Vincent." Wait, did I make it sound like a date? No, hopefully not. It might help if I stepped away from that angelic golden smile, not to mention the light-but-definitely-still-there touch on my arm.

As if he'd read my intention to move even as I thought it, Vincent lifted his hand away. Theo stood up from the table.

"I've got to get going. You probably do too, _knabbele_, since you're ditching work early today."

"Could you ask Sebas if three o'clock works for him, please?"

Once again, they spoke at almost the same time. I ignored Theo—not that he was wrong—and responded to Vincent. "I'll do that, and let you know."

"Thanks. …And, Mai?"

I looked back at Vincent. Opposite me, Theo paused in the act of closing the main dining room door behind him.

"About what I was saying earlier…"

"Yes?" I suddenly felt self-conscious. "I mean—you really don't need to worry about it." Okay, that wasn't exactly true, but I'd meant to bring it up later, when we were off on our own. Of course, Vincent had been talking to Theo in the first place, so he probably wanted to explain with both of us there.

"It's hard to describe… It's something about how you're always working so hard, and how you always try to be kind to the people around you, even if you don't know them very well." I waited, but there was no snork this time from Theo, which was both unexpected and suspicious. "Anyway, I was trying to explain to Theo that when I think of you in terms of colours—of _painting_—you seem very bright to me. Not the kind of brightness that hurts to look at. …Full of light, rather, and content to let it spill over freely. The mansion feels less gloomy these days; I like it."

I couldn't take it any more—my face was burning. If Vincent was embarrassed by what he was saying, it didn't show. There was a faint flush on his cheeks, but I could tell he was just being earnest. He didn't realize how much his words, combined with his angelic charm, might affect the recipient. Or so I assumed, based on his candour.

"Thank you, Vincent. All of that means a lot to me, although I'm really not sure what I've done to deserve your praise."

"I was just trying to describe what I was seeing. Theo was curious about what I thought of you."

My eyes turned automatically to the man in question, rather surprised. I'd missed him, though. All I saw was a swirl of brown coat, and then the door closing firmly behind his well-built frame.

"Why would Theo ask that?"

"Hmm?" Vincent looked surprised by the question. "Well, he often asks my opinions of people." Summer blue eyes sparkled with humour for a few moments. "He doesn't usually agree with the answer, though! Anyway, I'll see you later, hopefully?"

It was a gentle reminder to get back to work.

"Barring a butlering emergency, I think we're good to go!"

I took whatever needed taking off the table, and headed off to the kitchen. More residents would be down shortly, and then there would be Napoleon to wake up-I'd learned to use a pillow to guard against extra kisses—and then lunch to get started. I started musing about what food to bring on our picnic—pancakes were what Vincent liked best, but surely I could find some snacks, or fruit, that would be appropriate? And we want something to drink, maybe a well-iced tea…

"You look happier than you usually do after an exchange with Theo," remarked Sebastian, drawing me out of my planning.

"Ah, well, he's okay once you know how to take him." I smirked at Sebastian, who raised an eyebrow. "That's to say, with a large dose of Vincent!"

"So that's a Vincent-induced smile, is it?" There was a slightly knowing look in his grey eyes that gave me pause, but I ignored the question and moved on to more important things.

"May I leave a bit early today, since Vincent would like me to come with him on a walk and a picnic? And on that topic—what does Vincent like other than pancakes?" For some reason, Theo's irritable scowl flitted across my mind, and I added: "I suppose I should learn what Theo likes too. Maybe I can find a way to stop the tide of put-downs and weird names."

Sebastian regarded me thoughtfully, but didn't say anything right away. "As I believe Master Vincent told you early on, Theo only gives pet names—as it were—to those he likes."

"Well I wish he'd stop treating me as a pet—it's not that big an improvement on 'snack'!"

"I see you have him on your mind."

"What? No—no, really, Sebastian, that's just not it." I rolled my eyes. "So let's focus on Vincent's picnic, okay?"

"Of course. Do you realize how amazing it is that you'll be having a picnic with _the_ Vincent Van Gogh? What an incredible opportunity!"

"Honestly, I try not to think of things that way—it's a little overwhelming."

Sebastian looked pained, but finally turned his mind to what food and drink might be suitable—and portable—for the occasion. I focussed on the dishes, and tried to remind myself that it was just a picnic. Not a date. Not an indication of anything other than friendly interest from a very nice man who happened to look like an angel. No problem. And if I occasionally wondered about his snarky younger brother, well, naturally one would remind me of the other—right?

**[END]**

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**[1]** (MC's confession about the name "Mai") It was probably a mistake, but when pressed for a name, I gave them the name of the main character from my favourite mobile romance game. I admitted the truth not long after, but by that point everyone was—or claimed to be—used to Mai. To quote Arthur, "it's short and sweet, like you, so why not?" Responses to this comment were mixed, but that's a different story. Vincent, at least, appeared to be sincere in his agreement.


	2. The Shopping Expedition (Theo's Gift)

**Author's Note:**

Written for Theodorus van Gogh's (Cybird) birthday on May 1.

This was originally going to be a short (roughly 1000 word) piece, but I enjoyed writing the characters and their banter and it got out of hand, as my stories seem to do. Let this serve as a warning to other writers: have a plan and stick to it if you have a time and word limit!

The upside is a longer story; the downside is that I had to stop somewhere, and there's lots of material for a sequel that may or may not get written.

I hope you enjoy this bit of fluff, fun, and frolic! Also, l'amour. Maybe.

**~Imp**

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**The Shopping Expedition**

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Cuff links? Nice, but boring. Gold tie pin? He did wear a cravat when necessary, but I wanted something distinctive. Watch chain? …I couldn't remember what he used to tell time, although he probably did carry a pocket watch; after all, he was always in a hurry to get somewhere. Heh—the thought put me in mind of the White Rabbit from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and the image of Theodorus van Gogh wearing bunny ears and a fluffy white tail made me snicker.

It was the day before Theo's birthday, and I was getting a little—make that a lot—stressed out over what to get him. I mean, he had everything he needed, between what Monsieur le Comte provided and his own income. But I'd recently realized that he had very little in the way of personal keepsakes—things he treasured for more than being useful or necessary. I wanted to find him something special, maybe even something that would make him smile.

Theo had been rude to me from the moment we'd been introduced. So why was I trying so hard to find him a memorable birthday present? I suppose it was the little things he did in between mocking my (alleged) naiveté and impugning my intelligence. He noticed how hard I worked, for instance, and respected me for it—even checked up on me a few times when he realized I was putting in late night prep work for the next day. He paid attention to what I was doing, and acknowledged legitimate improvements. Mind you, his compliments were often buried among his criticisms, but they were sincere and on-point. And maybe it was my imagination, but there had been a lot fewer insults lately.

I left the jeweller's—the fourth such shop I'd been in—and frowned down at the paving stones. The sun was already low in the sky, and I'd promised not to stay out past dusk. Paris wasn't a safe place after dark, and a lot of areas weren't safe at any time. Or so I'd been told, over and over again, by various residents of Chez Comte, including Master Theodorus.

"Planning to take root and grow leaves?" Snarky comment, snarky tone, big presence.

"Good afternoon to you too, Theo, and how are you today?"

I looked up—quite a ways—and saw the expected sky blue eyes and irritating smirk. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, as usual, which made it feel like he was looming over me. Other shoppers detoured around him without more than a quick glance of annoyance, with the exception of one belligerent young man who called him a rude name that he automatically returned in kind. They glowered briefly at each other, but there was nothing in it—just an ordinary exchange of 'civilities' in Paris of the nineteenth century. Or any century, come to think of it.

"Seriously, though, you going in or out?" Theo indicated the shop behind me with his chin.

"I'm fine, thanks. It's a nice day, and I don't often get out to see the city. Haven't needed the umbrella so far."

Eyeroll. Sigh. "Give it up already, would you? Are you here with Sebas? Little pups like you need a handler—and maybe a leash. You might get into trouble, otherwise."

Right. Why _was_ I trying to find him a birthday present again? Oh yeah, because there was a heart of at least tarnished silver in there somewhere, and… well, I preferred to not think too hard about the rest. I gave him my best 'the customer is always right especially when they're not' smile. As a travel planner and occasional tour guide for status-conscious co-patriots, I'd had a lot of practice.

"I'm out on my own today, I'm afraid. Napoleon and Isaac gave me a lift into town, but otherwise I'm completely unsupervised. How about you? No big brother around to remind you to play nicely with the other children?"

Sadly, I wasn't able to get a rise out of Theo, although his smirk faded into something closer to genuine amusement.

"What happened to the polite little girl who first arrived at the mansion? I seem to remember somebody who stuck to 'please', 'thank you', and 'I'm sorry' most of the time."

"Well, I didn't get the best first impression of the tenants, and where I'm from, civility is often the best defense." I was going to add more—about lecherous writers and their syrup-swilling friends—but time was getting short, and not only did I still not have a present, but I was starting to wonder what was going on with Theo. It was unlike him not to be twitching with impatience by this point in the conversation. "Hey, Theo?"

"Hm?"

"Not that I don't appreciate your company, but what's up?"

"What do you mean? I happened to be in town and saw you blocking traffic—thought I'd better wake you up before somebody knocked you down and stole your lunch money."

I ignored the usual challenge to my maturity and life skills. "But now we're both blocking traffic, and you're always in a hurry when you're on business." The image of the White Rabbit with his giant pocket watch came to mind again, and I added: "You know—'I'm late! I'm late!' and all that."

Theo frowned, apparently not catching the reference. It occurred to me that I might be quoting the movie, rather than the book—and would Master Theodorus have bothered to read something as whimsical as Alice in Wonderland?

"I'm never late for business appointments, _hondje_–what's with you?" Before I could reply, he went on. "Believe it or not, you have a really _terrible_ sense of self-preservation. I was just trying to look out for one of God's dumb creatures, you know?"

"Sure." Amazingly, the insult rolled right off me. Maybe I was finally getting used to him, or maybe it was the dawning awareness that he was genuinely concerned and couldn't bring himself to admit it. "So, are you staying in town for dinner, or heading back?"

"Haven't decided." Theo shrugged. "The real question is, how are _you_ getting home?"

"A carriage? I mean, that's normal, isn't it?"

"Napoleon or Isaac meeting you?"

"No, why?" Great. Now I had no birthday present _and_ I was starting to feel nervous. "I can always fend off the cabbie with my umbrella if there's a problem, okay? Anyway, I know this is usually your line, but I have to get going. I still have something to pick up, and—_for safety reasons_—I'm not supposed to stay out after sunset."

"…I guess I'll go with you," Theo grumbled. At my look of surprise, he shoved his hands further into his pockets. "You're almost useful now, that's all. Be a waste for something to happen to you when Sebas finally has you halfway trained." More quietly, he added, "Still don't know what they were thinking, letting you out on your own..."

I stared at him, torn between irritation and confusion. After a moment, his eyes flicked away from mine. I thought there was a hint of red in his fair cheeks, but the late afternoon sun made it hard to tell.

"Look, Theo, all joking aside, I'm not a child, and I think I can manage to take a carriage home on my own."

"Who says I'm joking? What part of 'Paris isn't safe' isn't getting through your abnormally thick skull? Look, you're wearing nice clothes, and you're obviously carrying money. Sure, you're _probably_ okay shopping on your own during the day, but taking a carriage out into the middle of nowhere just as it's getting dark? I couldn't believe it when Arthur mentioned—" He broke off abruptly.

"What does our literary Lothario have to do with anything?" I demanded.

"Just—it doesn't matter, okay?" Theo was scowling, now; it was a familiar, if not especially charming expression. "The point is, travelling home alone is asking for trouble, and you're already trouble-prone."

"Trouble-prone?"

"Well, you managed to get stuck in le Comte's door—that's a first. And just—ugh. If you have something left to buy, we should get moving. Besides, you're still blocking traffic."

Before I could find the words to properly express my aggravation, there was a polite cough at my elbow. A neatly-dressed, middle-aged man had opened the door behind me, and was looking inquiringly between Theo and I.

"Madame, Monsieur… I do not wish to intrude upon a lovers' quarrel, but perhaps you would be so kind as to find a more appropriate location?" He bowed politely. "You see, Monsieur is rather, ah, formidable, and it is not good for business. I'm sure that you understand."

Theo shot me an exasperated look, put a hand under my elbow, and dragged me away. Since I couldn't do anything about it without causing a scene, I went with him, calling an apology over my shoulder to the shopkeeper.

After we'd gone a short distance, I tried to yank my arm free. I wasn't successful, but at least it got my cranky companion to slow down. Once we'd reached a quieter spot, Theo finally let go. We were both a little red, and this time it definitely wasn't just the light.

"You—"

"What the—"

Theo shoved his hands back into his pockets. I would have crossed my arms in response, but I had a bag in one hand and an umbrella in the other.

"Theo—"

"_Hondje_—"

I decided to let him go first. It had occurred to me—as annoying as it was—that he might have a point about the wisdom of taking a hired carriage back to the mansion on my own. There was no way to call ahead, and the stretch of road between the outskirts of the city and le Comte's residence was uninhabited and surrounded by forest. While I was confident that the residents of the mansion would hunt down anyone who harmed me, it made no sense to put myself in harm's way unnecessarily.

"Why didn't Napoleon make arrangements for you to get home?" Theo asked at last, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "He usually fusses over things like that."

"I don't know." I thought about the trip into town, and added, "I got the impression that he thought it was already taken care of. He reminded me to stick to the one shopping district, but that was it."

Theo suddenly went still, as though something had occurred to him. Then he scowled again, but it didn't seem to be at me, for a change.

"Who gave you the money to take a carriage back to the mansion?"

"Le Comte—well, technically I suppose it was Arthur…" I paused, thinking it over. "Arthur came up to me shortly before I left to tell me that le Comte had asked him to pass along the money for the trip back. I was a bit surprised, but it didn't occur to me to be worried about it."

Theo muttered something in Dutch that I didn't quite catch. It sounded rude, but when I raised my eyebrows at him he just hunched a shoulder and growled, "Arthur, not you."

"You think Arthur set me up?" That made no sense. "But why? I mean, he's the one who told me—"

I bit off the rest of the sentence, since I'd been about to tell Theo that I'd been looking for a birthday present for him. Arthur was the one who had recommended the particular shopping district and given me directions. I'd reluctantly consulted him about possible gifts for Theo, since they appeared to be friends. I would have preferred to ask our resident angel—Theo's brother Vincent—but he'd been working non-stop on a painting for the past several days.

"Let me guess." Theo had stopped scowling, although he didn't look happy, either. "Somebody—probably Arthur, since Vincent's been painting—told you about my birthday, right? And you got it in your head that you should get me something, because you _would_. Then Arthur suggested where to shop—he knows I like a lot of the artisans in this district. Sound about right?"

"…Maybe. But you still haven't explained what _you_ are doing here."

"I told you—I had to be in town anyway, and somebody had to look out for the ignorant puppy."

"I really wish you'd stop it with the pet references. How did you know I'd gone into town and was coming back on my own?"

"Arthur." Theo grimaced. "We were chatting in the front hall, and he mentioned that he was concerned, because he overheard that the coachman wasn't returning to town for you. When I said you were probably coming back with Napoleon or Isaac, he made a big show of remembering that Napoleon and Isaac were staying in town late tonight. Bastard."

I continued to stare at Theo, as the bits and pieces started to click. It was beginning to sound as though Theo had rushed into town entirely for my sake—so that I wouldn't have to travel home alone. Even stranger, Arthur had been able to wind him up with a pretty suspicious story—maybe because my safety was at stake? Normally, Theo was as sceptical as they came. …Not that I was feeling warm and fuzzy just because Theo had panicked over me or anything.

"What are you grinning about, _hondje_?" The glower was back, probably because Theo hated looking like he actually cared about anyone other than Vincent.

"Nothing." For some reason, I couldn't get the smile off my face.

"Just remember that if you had half a brain, and weren't so reckless, you'd cause a lot less trouble."

"Right—because it's my fault that Arthur set me up just so he could mess with you."

Theo didn't respond; he seemed to be deep in thought. Then he hastily pulled out a pocket watch and muttered, "Damn, I really _am_ late, now."

I stifled a giggle, as the image of Theo the White Rabbit came to mind once more. "Hey, Theo?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry if you ended up missing something because you were looking out for me."

He looked startled, then replaced the watch in his pocket and turned away, running a hand through his bright copper-brown hair. "It wasn't a big deal. Otherwise you'd be on your own."

"I still appreciate it—thank you."

"Well… just remember that you owe me one." He still wouldn't meet my eyes. "You still had somewhere you needed to go?"

"Yeah. Do you mind if I go into that bookstore?" I pointed across the street. I was pretty sure I'd been there once before with Sebastian, who was picking up an order for Leonardo.

"Whatever you want is probably in the library at the mansion, you realize." Despite his words, Theo immediately set out towards the store. I hurried after him, unable to repress the thought that it was a lot more comfortable being in nineteenth century Paris _with_ somebody—especially if he happened to be _moderately_ intelligent and good-looking. Having a glare that parted crowds like Moses parting the Red Sea was a bonus.

I was fortunate enough to find what I wanted, and quick enough that even Theo couldn't find fault with me for wasting his time. When I rejoined him outside the store, he was idly flipping through an art book, criticizing the publisher's choice of paintings. I could tell that his heart wasn't really in it, though.

"So, I guess we should get home then?" I asked.

"Yeah, let's go. I'd suggest eating out, but Sebas is probably waiting for you, right?"

To my surprise, he held out an imperative hand for my bag, which now contained a neatly-wrapped two-volume set along with the bits and pieces I'd picked up earlier. For some reason, I didn't try to refuse, even though the bag wasn't especially heavy.

"Thanks…"

"Sure." He offered his elbow, and rolled his eyes when I stared at it blankly. "Take my arm, would you? Last thing I need is for you to trip and twist an ankle now that the light's going. And stop looking so surprised—makes you look even more out of it than usual."

"Uh-huh. Have you ever considered _not_ adding the insults? I hear it can do wonders for people's opinion of you."

He looked down at me, smirking. "Why would I care what people think?"

"You care what Vincent thinks."

"He's my older brother, and an artistic genius. He's allowed to have opinions."

"Right…"

We were walking steadily toward the nearest area that was likely to have coaches for hire that would travel beyond the city limits. I hated to admit it, even to myself, but it was nice to have an arm to lean on, especially since my feet had been sore for a quite while thanks to the uneven cobbles and hard paving stones. I'd done more walking than I'd anticipated, and late Victorian fashions in ladies' footwear were elegant, but not especially comfortable.

"Oi, _hondje_! Don't fall asleep until we're actually in the coach, okay? Or are you hoping I'll carry you?"

I stifled a yawn, and realized that Theo had a point—about falling asleep on my feet, not about wanting to be carried. Because I didn't. Why would I?

"Oh jeez… Come on, we're here now—up you go."

I let him help me into the carriage, and settled myself decorously on the forward-facing seat. Theo joined me a moment later, having spoken to the driver. He sat down beside me, and stretched his long legs out in front of him as much as space allowed.

"Go ahead and nap if you want," he told me, pulling out a notebook and pencil. "Maybe I can get some work done if you're not babbling at me."

"I don't babble." At least, that's what I tried to say. A yawn got in the way, and Theo snorted. I narrowly resisted the urge to stick out my tongue at him. Too bad I really _was_ feeling sleepy, though.

We reached the mansion very shortly after that, from my perspective. I didn't remember much from the trip itself, which was just as well—or so I told myself. For one thing, when I woke up, I was leaning on Theo's chest, and his arm was around me. Moreover, he'd obviously taken off my hat for me, which was just as well, since otherwise I'd have been skewered by the ten-centimeter-long hatpins. I felt stupidly pleased about that, as well as comfortable tucked up against him, which was embarrassing. Best not to remember how it had come about.

Theo's face was scrupulously neutral when I sat up just as we were reaching the mansion. He just… totally ignored whatever had happened. Not that anything had _happened_, but still. I jammed my hat back onto my head, and tried not to yelp when I poked myself with a hatpin. Theo snickered.

"It's on backward. Might as well leave it off—you'll look a _little_ less untidy that way. Though I guess at least it covers up your hair…"

I wanted to try for icy disdain, but instead I found myself missing his warmth beside me. Apparently, he noticed something in my expression. His finger lightly brushed my cheek, which suddenly felt very warm indeed.

"You shouldn't look at me like that, _hondje_," he muttered, only partly to me.

"Wh-why not?" This time, I tried for aloof. What came out was anything but.

"Well… you look like you wouldn't mind being kissed, and it _is_ almost my birthday."

"You've been spending way too much time with Arthur!" Why was I leaning toward him, instead of grabbing my things and hurrying out of the carriage?

"That must be it."

The touch of his lips on mine was electric. Okay, what was going on? I mean—really?

There was a respectful knock on the carriage door, and Theo's fingers dropped from my cheek. He grinned at me, but I couldn't read the emotion behind it.

"Look on the bright side. The driver was bound to think we'd been up to something, since your hair's such a mess. At least this way you've gotten some benefit out of the embarrassment."

"What?! Theo!"

Of course he opened the door at that moment, and it was plain that the driver thought exactly what Theo had predicted he would think. Ugh! It was mortifying, but at least the man was a stranger, and hopefully I'd never see him again.

The same couldn't be said for Arthur, Sebastian, and le Comte, who met us as we came into the house. I'd tried to tidy my hair and replace my hat while Theo paid off the driver, but the expressions on the three men's faces when they took in my appearance suggested I hadn't done a very good job. I came to the conclusion that I'd have to kill Arthur, just to avoid ever seeing the smug, self-satisfied look ever again. At least le Comte was back to his normal, pleasant self after a bare instant; Sebastian raised his eyebrows at me suggestively—naturally, I ignored him.

Unlike me, Theo was completely self-possessed. He handed me my bag with a casual, "Try not to drop it, after all that." Then he nodded to le Comte and Sebastian, and dropped a hand on Arthur's shoulder. I thought I saw Arthur wince, but if so, any pain wasn't enough to offset his amusement. He winked at me as Theo marched him out of the front hall towards the games room.

"Are you alright, chérie?" Le Comte appeared to be genuinely concerned, so I reassured him that I was fine.

"You're late getting back," murmured Sebastian. "You'll have to tell me all about it while we work on dinner."

"Or not," I murmured right back at him. I bowed to le Comte. "Monsieur le Comte—here is the money that Arthur gave me, from you, to pay for the journey back from town. As it turned out, I didn't need it."

"From me? No… it's not mine. But why don't you keep it, since it appears that Arthur's been up to mischief again? The least he can do is help to pay for your parcels."

When I tried to protest, le Comte smiled gently at me. I accepted my defeat graciously—after all, there was some merit to his argument. After a few more pleasantries—which helped to soothe my ruffled feathers, I admit—I went upstairs to change and put away my things. Le Comte accompanied me to the second floor, and detained me briefly outside my door.

"Did you find what you were looking for? I gather you were trying to find a gift for Theodorus."

"Oh…" I hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, I did eventually choose something, thank you Comte. It came to me when I was looking at watch guards—I thought maybe a sturdy but elegant gold chain would suit Theo, you see."

"That makes sense. But I take it that you didn't get the chain?"

"No… I wanted something more unusual." I decided to confide in le Comte—he struck me as good at keeping secrets, and once I told somebody, I was less likely to chicken out. I reached into my bag, and pulled out the wrapped parcel. "Open it, and tell me what you think—if you don't mind. I'm sure it's completely the opposite of what Theo would ordinarily read, but that's why I got it."

"I'm intrigued, ma petite. But if you mean that you chose something other than a technical work, or an art book, then I congratulate you. It's perceptive of you to realize that he could use something to shake him out of his tendency toward 'all work and no play'—other than drinking with Arthur, that is."

"Well, to be honest, that was only part of it." I made sure that le Comte followed me into my room, since with my luck, Theo would come up at exactly the wrong moment if we stayed in the upper hallway.

"Now I'm even more curious." Le Comte deftly untied the string that secured the parcel, and folded back the brown wrapping paper to reveal two illustrated books. "'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'… and 'Through the Looking Glass'." He looked up at me, and I let out a sigh of relief when I saw the approval in his warm golden eyes. "I wonder what our ever-practical Theo will make of these? An excellent choice, chérie. And no doubt you feel a certain kinship with Mademoiselle Alice? Although I think you chose a more dangerous world to fall into, as it were."

I returned his smile and shrugged. "Maybe. I've had a number of frightening experiences here, I'll admit, but I'm not sure that Wonderland sounds all that pleasant. At least nobody here has threatened to cut off my head for refusing to play croquet using live flamingos." When le Comte laughed softly, I added, "But you're right that I do feel a bit like Alice at times."

Le Comte flipped idly through the first book, admiring the illustrations. Naturally, I'd made sure the artwork wouldn't attract outright derision from the birthday boy.

"Tell me, chérie, what was your other reason for purchasing these books? I thought it was because of Alice, and your situation here, but I gather that's not it."

"Oh—yes, you're right." I took the book from le Comte and flipped back several pages to one of the first illustrations, which showed a well-dressed rabbit with a large pocket watch and an air of panic about him. Underneath, the caption read: 'Oh dear, oh dear. I shall be too late.'

Le Comte stared at the White Rabbit for several seconds without comment, and I began to feel anxious again. Any resemblance to a certain hyper-busy art dealer was apparently all in my head… Then the polished, ever-courteous, impeccably-dressed man beside me snickered audibly.

"Comte?"

He closed the book, leaving it between my hands, and bowed politely. "I wish you all the best, 'Alice'. If you can get Theo to slow down and enjoy himself, even a little, you will have done him a true service."

I nodded, but didn't know what to say. Who was I to tell Theo to slow down, if he was doing what he wanted to do? We had a tenuous connection at best, although the afternoon's events had suggested something more. Was there more? Did I want there to be? What could I—or should I—read into that barely-there kiss?

When Sebastian arrived at my room twenty minutes later, sounding half-concerned and half-annoyed, I still hadn't moved, and I still didn't know the answers to any of my questions. The only thing I knew for sure was that I clearly had Theo on the brain. I apologized to Sebastian, put 'Alice' into a drawer to wrap later, and finally got changed. It was time to concentrate on the job at hand, and not Theo's unusually protective behaviour, or a stray kiss.

**[END]**

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**A/Note:** Like any story I post to this collection, I may or may not write a sequel in the future. It depends on time, other commitments, and reader interest :)


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